1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic timepieces, and more particularly to an electronic timepiece which can fulfill such conditions that are good in appearance, easy to fix on an arm, suppressed in the number of parts and easy to be mounted with a large-sized power source, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, there is a tendency toward increase in electric timepiece power consumption as the electronic timepiece becomes multi-functioned. For example, power consumption is considerably increased for those electronic timepieces provided with personal computer functions and those with television functions. Accordingly they require a large-sized power source suited for them. On the other hand, watches are usually worn on an arm during walking. Accordingly, they will be poor in appearance and obstructive if they made large, and tiring if become heavy. Meanwhile, the frequent replacement of a small capacity battery requires opening of the battery lid in each time, hence resulting in troublesomeness. For these reasons, a variety of devising are required for timepiece power sources. For example, JP-A-56-94982U discloses a technology concerning a battery accommodation structure for an electronic timepiece.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing one example of the above-described electronic timepiece. FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing the timepiece 200 shown in FIG. 10. A battery accommodation section 203 is provided between a watch strap 202 and a main body case 201. As for this battery 204, the battery accommodation section 203 is connected to a positive terminal 206 and a negative terminal 205. The positive terminal 206 and the negative terminal 205 are connected with a copper wire 207. Also, insulation elastic members 208 are provided bridging over between the main body case 201 and the battery accommodation section 203. The insulation elastic member 208 is a cylindrical member having a coiled spring 209 arranged therein. The insulation elastic member 208 is attached at respective ends with pin terminals 210, and the opposite pin terminals are electrically connected by the coiled spring 209 to each other. One of the pin terminals 210 is connected to the copper wire 207 extended from the positive terminal 206 and the negative terminal 205 of the battery. The other of the pin terminals 210 extends to an inside of the main body case 201. The battery accommodation section 203 is fixed to the main body case 201 with screws 211, for attachment and detachment. In this manner, the timepiece can be reduced in thickness by taking the battery 204 from the main body case 201 to a side of a strap attaching section side.
However, in the conventional electronic timepiece 200, there has been a problem of poor appearance because the battery accommodation section 203 is provided in a direction of the watch strap 202. Also, the increase in length of the strap attaching section causes disagreement with the radius of curvature of an arm resulting in a problem of difficulty in closely fitting and fixing on the arm. It is Impossible to closely fit this structure on the arm even in a case that the battery accommodation section 203 is attached obliquely relative to the main body case 201 as shown in FIG. 11. Furthermore, watch straps 202 different in length are required for the case attached with the battery accommodation section 203 and the case without it, causing a problem of increase in the number of parts. Also, the structure made capable of exchanging a large amount of information besides power source supply is favored for the times from now on.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object to provide an electronic timepiece which satisfies such conditions that are good in appearance, easy to fix on an arm, suppressed in the number of parts and easy to be mounted with a large-sized power source, etc.